8 Jan 2009

Save the Children Fiji tightens funds to Vatukoula

4:00 pm on 8 January 2009

The agency, Save the Children, in Fiji says its funding to help children in Vatukoula will be tightened this year as it has had to seek donations to boost its funds.

It says it had stepped in to provide relief to the area because families suffered financially after the closure of the gold mine in 2007.

The chief executive officer for funding, Chandra Shekhar says it spent nearly 150,000 US dollars to provide school lunches, textbooks and transport to about 1,400 children from seven Vatukoula schools last year.

He says it plans to maintain its service with the contribution from parents.

"We had undertaken a lunch programme... we will continue with it. But, in this current year we are going to look at a partnership with the parents so that they can start doing some backyard gardening and supplement part of the requirements for the lunch."

Chandra Shekhar says it will review its service to Vatukoula next year.